The price for this hotel on the Marriott web site is $199.00. I got it for $99.00 on Priceline and was able to add air fare on American for less than what I would have paid on all the major travel web sites for air and hotel combined. That said, I enjoyed my short time at the Residence Inn (June 11-14). There's not a whole lot I can add that hasn't already been addressed in previous reviews, but I will try.
The Thursday night I was there, they had a Chicken Ceasar Salad and Soup night for the "Manager's Reception." It appears they do something different each Thursday night of the month. I had already eaten, but I tried the salad and it was not too bad. I did not try the soup. They had Miller Genuine Draft and Miller Lite on tap. However, one tap ran out (the Miller Lite) and the other one was spewing foam. One of the hotel staff members worked on it and finally started pouring beer from the tap into pitchers and taking them around and filling up people's cups. After a while, she just filled the pitchers and left them by the tap. It took me a while to find the wine. Turns out the wine (red) is in a dispenser much like what one might use to dispense orange juice, so it was a little confusing.
They have other themes during the week like Bar-be-que on Wednesday night, hot dogs on Tuesday, I believe. etc. As for breakfast, one morning they had scrambled eggs and patty sausage and the next day it was scrambled eggs and link sausage. There were a couple of waffle machines and they had fruit, cereal, bread, on so on.
The room was nice. I liked the big shower versus the usual bath tub with shower. The only complaint I would have is my room faced Walton and I could hear alot of the street noise and rowdy folks out front, but no big deal. I found it weird that the in-room literature said there was no need to get ice as I could get it from the ice-maker in the fridge. I then opened the fridge to find two empty ice trays. While I was there the TV channels went digital and CBS and HBO disappeared. Not sure why that happened.
Someone mentioned a store "behind" the hotel. It is actually on a side street. You have to go down some stairs to get there. The night I went there were some questionable characters at the top of the stairs asking me if I wanted my shoes shined. I was wearing tennis shoes, so I passed on the shoe shining and decided to pass on going down the stairs to the store. I turned around and walked the few steps back to the hotel.
I was in town for the NeoCon show at the Merchandise Mart. I took a cab a few times and the cost was $6.25 - $6.75. For some reason, the cabs leaving the hotel added $.50 to the trip that wasn't added on the way back. I did discover I could catch the 125 Water Tower Express from in front of the Hancock Building and it was only $2.25. It would drop me off in front of the Merchandise Mart on Wells and pick me up in front on Ontario. I was also able to bus it over to the Cadillac Theater to see a Broadway play (Mary Poppins - fun show even for a 54 year old guy). I took a cab back to the hotel and it was still only $6.00 - $7.00.
As other folks have noted, Michigan Ave. is only two blocks away and you can go a block or two the other direction and be at the water. You can see the fireworks from there that they shoot off from the Navy Pier every Wednesday and Saturday night.
Eats wise, I hit Gene and Georgetti's Steak House. Itailian wait staff, white table cloths. Steaks are high dollar and my strip steak was incredibly thick. Don't think I would go back there, though....$62.00 with tip for one. Hit the Billy Goat Tavern for a "Cheesborger." It's OK, but nothing outstanding. Gino's East is good for pizza. Tried some Chicago Dogs. They were OK, too, but wasn't impressed. Maybe I went to the wrong place. I think it was called America's Favorite Dog or something like that.
Hope some of this helps with your trip to Chicago. I don't think I would pay $199.00 for the Residence Inn with all the deals out there, but if you can get it for $99.00, go for it.
